Escape
by PocketSevens
Summary: They weren't even friends, but now, they're on the run for their lives from Division.  How will Alex and Jaden survive, not only their escape, but each other?  Inspired by the episode "One Way".  Rated "T" to be safe. Chapter 5 now up after long hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – Welcome to my first "Nikita" fanfic. **

**As I'm not familiar with the actual location of Division, I've made the following assumptions: First, since Percy and the people from Division seem to be close to senators and political figures, I'm assuming Division is close to Washington DC. Second, since recruits are kept hidden until activated, I've assumed Division is in a remote location with limited access in/out - probably in a forest or other comparable desolate area. **

**This story is inspired by the episode "One Way" where Alex got Jaden to team up and help her out. It doesn't revolve around Nikita/Michael incident at the airport but it will become a factor. There's no romantic relationships or slash explored in this fanfic – it's all action. Story rating is "T" for some action and bad words (nothing too heavy).  
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**I certainly welcome feedback and constructive criticism on this fanfic.**

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They were on the run. They ran in the dark of night as far and fast as they could only having the light of the full moon and a small flashlight to help them see. They ran, with one of them carrying the few items they could gather in a small shoulder bag. They ran as the burning in their legs and lungs begged them to stop. They ran even though they knew the likelihood of succeeding in their quest was minimal. They ran even though they could hear the dogs in the distance behind them. They ran even though they knew a sweeper team was on their tail. They ran even though the tracking devices in their bodies revealed their position no matter where they went.

Even so, they ran anyway.

Neither of the two young women thought it would come to this. Division had slated them for cancellation: one was caught helping a rogue agent on the outside; the other found out about a top-secret mission that had major worldwide repercussions. The former woman had nothing but loathing for Division; the latter owed them her life and would gladly give it in service of Division. It was a paradox and juxtaposition of personalities, motives and desires.

And yet, they were now unlikely comrades in the escape of their lives.

After fifteen minutes of running, Jaden stopped panting for breath. "Alex! Stop! I can't keep running!"

Alex stopped and turned around to face her new companion. "We can't. They're not that far behind us. We've got to reach the road!"

"What road? We're in the middle of nowhere, you stupid bitch!" Jaden spat back. "How do you even know where we are anyway, let alone where we're going?"

"Trust me…I know," was Alex's only reply…

_(Six months ago)_

"_This is where Division is located," Nikita said as she pointed to an open area on a map. Her finger rested on an area west of Washington DC in a remote part of the District of Columbia. It was the perfect place to hold recruits: away from the busy cities, remote, desolate, secluded, and devoid of many roads. Alex nodded as she took in this information._

_Nikita continued: "If things go bad, get out and head east. Follow the flight paths of the jets flying into Reagan National…"_

(Present Day)

Alex looked to the sky to see airplanes on their arrival path. "We need to keep heading east – there's a highway another couple of miles from here. Once we get there, we can hitch a ride to the city…"

"Then what?" Jaden interrupted. "They'll track us no matter where we go. We're as good as dead."

Alex marched right up to her companion and looked her right in the eye. "We're already dead! We were slated for cancellation, remember? At least, out here, we've got a chance. Now MOVE!"

With that, Alex turned and started running again. Jaden rolled her eyes and followed her comrade through the forest regardless.

* * *

"Strike team is half a mile and closing," Birkhoff noted, watching as a number of red dots raced across a computer image of a map.

"A mobile strike team is also en route to intercept if they make it to the highway," Michael added, slamming a phone down in the control room.

Percy pursed his lips before speaking: "It's vital that we get them before they reach the highway. I want them taken down."

Michael didn't like what his director had just said. He turned to Percy and asked, "Sir, is that really necessary? If we bring them in…"

Percy slowly turned to face Michael with a look that stopped him mid-sentence. "Michael, we have two rogue recruits on the run with knowledge of a highly classified mission. It is also possible that they have leaked that information to outside sources. I intend to make sure that information _stays_ as classified as possible, which includes their termination! So, DON'T ask me if this is 'really necessary'!"

Birkhoff whistled staring at the screen before him. "You know…it's a shame really. I kinda liked Alex – she had some potential. Jaden…not so much – she was too much of an up-tight, stuck-up bitch."

Percy didn't even look away from Michael as he asked, "How long before the team reaches them?"

"Estimated five…possibly ten minutes. However, they're approaching the fence just as we speak."

Percy smiled and turned back to look at the monitors. "Good. Perhaps this foolish game will be over just as soon as it's begun."

* * *

"Dammit!" Jaden swore walking up to a twelve-foot high electrified fence that went straight up. "How the hell are we supposed to get past this?"

Just then, Alex shoved two gloves and shoe covers into Jaden's hands. Alex told her, "Put these on."

"What are there?"

"Rubber gloves and rubber shoe covers. They're thick enough to insulate you against electricity…"

_(Six months ago)_

_Nikita c_o_ntinued her briefing to Alex. _"_The entire facility is protected by an electric fence pushing 1,000 volts. It's not enough to kill you but it'll make you think twice about getting near it. It's about twelve feet high, but you can get over it if you have protective gloves and shoes - you can get those from the storerooms in Division. The best way over is to climb the fence poles. Just don't touch any of the fencing."_

_Alex rolled her eyes. "Ya think?" she replied sarcastically._

(Present day)

Jaden was wide-eyed in shock, staring at the gloves Alex handed her. "Where'd you get these?"

"Division's storeroom," Alex answered with a smile.

Jaden didn't believe her. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"How?"

"I have my ways."

"And where have you been hiding these?"

"Remember when you followed me through the ventilation shaft?" Alex patted the bag over her shoulder. "That's where I hid this 'Go Bag'. I would add stuff to it every so often when I could."

After putting on her gear, Alex turned to climb the fence; however, she was stopped by Jaden who grabbed her and turned her around. "You're _seriously_ going to scale an electric fence?" Jaden asked.

Alex smiled and replied 'as-a-matter-of-factly': "Yeah."

Jaden could only look in disbelief. "Oh."

With that, Alex jumped onto the fence, grabbing the support pole and climbing to the top. As she ascended the pole, she could hear the hum of the power passing through the wires woven within the chain link fence. However, she knew she couldn't let it unnerve her from her task. Once she reached the top, she _carefully_ made her way over to the other side and back onto solid ground. Alex looked at Jaden who was still on the other side of the fence, but her vision was distracted by a faint light coming from the flashlights of the Strike Team off in the distance. Alex started to worry. "Come on! They're coming!"

Jaden turned to see the growing light and could hear the faint barking of the dogs: the Strike Team was getting closer. "Oh, hell no!"

She quickly turned and started to climb the fence pole. Alex watched as Jaden ascended to the top while also keeping watch for the Strike Team. Jaden proved to be Alex's equal as she was able to ascend to the top in the same amount of time; however, she was half way down before Alex noticed that the Strike Team was getting too close for comfort. She yelled up to Jaden: "Jump!"

"WHAT? ARE YOU NUTS?"

"Jump, dammit, or we're dead!"

Jaden let go and fell the remaining six feet to the ground. However, Alex grabbed her to cushion some of Jaden's fall to the ground.

"Time to go!" Alex shouted as the Strike Team came into view.

The Team Leader saw them on the other side of the fence and raised his semi-automatic rifle. "STOP!"

The two women got up and ran as they ducked under the gunfire that ripped the trees above their heads. After a few seconds, the women were no longer in view.

The Team Leader swore as he pulled out his phone. "Alpha Team reporting: the targets are over the fence. We lost them."

* * *

"How the HELL did they get past the fence?"

Percy was livid. After staying in one place for almost ten minutes, the two recruits' tracking dots started moving eastward again.

Birkhoff was racking his brain trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. "Well, considering what they did to the rest of our defenses, it is quite possible they found a way to electronically reroute the energy field…"

He noticed Percy glaring at him. "…shutting up now."

"We still have Strike Team Bravo en route, sir," Michael informed Percy.

Still, Division's director was not impressed. "I want two more Strike Teams ready to go in case Bravo team fails."

"Sir…" Michael started to protest.

"NOW, Michael!"

After a few seconds, Michael nodded in obedience. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"Alex, stop."

Jaden collapsed down on the ground, exhausted from running. Alex stopped as well, resting against a tree to catch her breath.

In between breaths, Jaden asked her comrade, "OK…we've…made it… this far… now what?"

"We've got to…get to the…highway…hopefully…we'll get…a ride…out of here."

Jaden shook her head. "We've still got trackers on us…"

"One problem at a time," Alex interrupted. "Let's get out of here first, _and then_ we'll deal with the trackers."

They continued walking, and after about an hour, the highway was in sight. However, both women stopped dead in their tracks, noticing a black SUV parked along the side of the road. The doors opened and a group of five men, all dressed in black, piled out of the SUV. The men started walking in their general direction and, once they were some distance away from the SUV, drew their weapons.

One of them looked familiar. Both women's eyes went wide.

"Thom?"

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**Please let me know what you think. I'd love to get your feedback. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – First: sorry for taking so long to update – I hate it when real life gets in the way. :)**

**Second: a big thank you to those who reviewed and/or set this story on Alert. You guys rock!**

**I want your opinion on something – I called this story "Escape" but I'm not completely happy with the title. Since this story will morph into something more than just an escape, I'd like your feedback to an alternate name for the story's title. Perhaps it should be renamed, "Unlikely Alliances" or something like that. Let me know what you think.  
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**In the meantime: Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!**

**Oh, and I forgot this on the first chapter: as this is Fanfic, I do not own Nikita.**

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The day he became field agent, Thom figured that his life would be better: he welcomed the freedom from the underground "bunker" of Division; he welcomed the chance to breathe fresh air; and, most importantly, he welcomed a chance to serve and protect his country from threats that the average person would never know about. Right now, his current mission found him sitting in the back of a Division SUV, with four other agents, as it streaked down the highway. During the ride, his mind wandered to his first days in Division:

"_You __**do**__ know you've got a second chance at life?" Amanda asked him, lighting a candle on the table in front of the couch where she sat. "I'd like to talk to you about it."_

_Thom sat across from her in an arm chair, fidgeting nervously. "Tell me why I'm here again. I don't remember signing up for any of this."_

_Amanda smiled warmly. "Of course you didn't 'sign up' – you were __**chosen**__, Thom. We see a lot of potential in you and we want to give you something."_

_Thom just sneered. "Oh yeah? What's that?"_

_Amanda leaned forward and looked right into his eyes as if she could see right into his soul. "Purpose, Thom. We want to give you purpose." She then quirked her head and asked, "Isn't that what you want? A reason for living?"_

His life now was a far cry from where he came from when he first came to Division: long ago, he was only a kid living on the streets, fighting to survive, and living for nobody but himself. Now, as Amanda had said, he had a purpose and a chance to make a difference in the world. He didn't mind this second chance at life; he was going to embrace it as long as he could.

However, this mission made him start to question what and why he was doing what he was being asked to do. His previous assignments were easy to understand: he was assigned to eliminate threats to the United States, whether it was an African diplomat or a Russian spy. Now he was chasing down two rogue Division recruits – of course, what made it worse was the two rogue recruits were his comrades.

He shook his head at the thought: Jaden and Alex are working together? The absurdity of it all was confusing enough: Alex, the smart girl, yet who seemed very secretive; and Jaden, who gave herself completely to Division and would do anything for them.

It didn't seem to make sense: why would they turn on Division? Why now?

And why would they run _together? _They didn't even _like _each other.

"THOM!"

His commander's yell woke him from his thoughts. "Sir," he replied in acknowledgment, sitting up straight in his chair.

The commander of Strike Team Bravo sat in the passenger seat and had turned around to talk to Thom. "Is there anything special we should know about these two recruits?"

Oh, if his commander could hear his thoughts: _Yeah: Alex is smarter than all of you guys combined. And Jaden…well, she'll kick just about everybody's ass here. With the two of them together, they'd be a force to be reckoned with._

"No sir," he simply replied.

A third agent, who was watching his hand-held GPS, yelled out, "Sir, they're about 700 feet due west."

The commander looked out the window and realized the two women were in the forest beside them. It was time. "All right, pull over."

The driver obeyed the order, pulling the SUV over to the side of the highway. An overhead lamppost washed the SUV in light making the Strike Team hide their firearms before exiting the vehicle. Once they were a distance away from the SUV and out of the glare of the highway lamppost, they drew their weapons to hunt their targets. A couple of agents were holding GPS trackers which led them towards the two recruits.

These two escapees' fun was about to come to an end.

* * *

"Dammit!" Jaden hissed watching the five men exit the SUV at the side of the highway. She looked over at Alex. "So, I hope you've…"

She stopped noticing Alex's expression of shock on her face. "What?"

Alex recognized one of the agents getting out of the SUV: "Thom?"

Jaden looked over at the five men, seeing their friend amongst the group."Oh, isn't _that_ just great?"

The two women watched as the Strike Team approached, drawing their weapons. Alex sighed. "It looks like they're carrying portable GPS trackers."

Jaden sighed and her shoulders slumped. "So much for the element of surprise. Now what do we do?"

Alex started to think – since the Strike Team had GPS trackers to find their location, getting around them was out of the question. They didn't have any weapons on them so they couldn't take them on...

Alex looked around and found a stick that was about three feet long and a couple of inches wide. She threw it to Jaden, who caught it in mid-air. "You any good with that?"

Jaden spun it around skillfully before gave Alex a wry look. "Yeah, a little," she replied sarcastically.

"Good." Alex smiled and devised a plan.

One of the agents watched his GPS as the two tracking dots split apart and went separate ways. He yelled to the Strike Team commander, "Sir, they're splitting up. They're going in opposite directions…" After a few seconds, the dots stopped moving. The agent looked up at his commander with a quizzical look on his face. "They seem to be taking up defensive positions," he said in disbelief.

"Understood, Drake," the commander replied. Pointing to another member of the team, he said, "James: you go with Drake and take the one on the left. Thom, Brad: you two are with me."

Alex watched from her vantage point as the team split apart. _That's right…come on…_

Drake held the GPS tracker as he and his partner walked towards the dot on the map. As they approached, they realized that, whoever it was, they were hiding on the other side of a rather big tree. Drake pointed to James to split up. James nodded in understanding and the two agents quietly circled the tree from opposite sides.

Quickly they spun around to the other side of the tree…and were surprised to find nothing there. Drake looked back at the GPS tracker – they _were_ in the right spot. "What the hell?"

Their confusion was the perfect distraction as, without warning, Jaden jumped down from the tree, kicking James in the head, sending him sprawling. Before Drake could react, Jaden swung the staff down on his hands, knocking the gun away; then swung the staff like a baseball bat. The thick stick collided with Drake's head, sending him flying head-first into the tree trunk, knocking him out cold. By this time, James had recovered and was getting up only to be jabbed in the stomach. The agent doubled over only to get a face-full of wood as Jaden sent him sprawling. He hit the ground out like a light.

The other agents heard the commotion and turned their attention towards their fallen comrades. Alex used the diversion to her advantage. She dropped from her tree with a large rock in her hands, bringing it directly on Brad's unfortunate cranium. He went down in a heap as the commander turned and aimed his firearm at Alex. Unfortunately for him, his reaction was too slow as Alex had thrown the rock at him. He ducked the flying stone but Alex used that moment to run up, kick the commander in the "privates". She then kneed the doubled-over screaming agent in the nose, knocking him out cold as he flew backwards.

Then Alex heard a click: the click of a gun.

"Alex, don't move! Put your hands where I can see them!"

Alex realized that she was at Thom's mercy and she slowly put her hands behind her head. She slowly turned to face him. She couldn't see his face very well but could see he held his gun at her – his hands held steady, not wavering at all. "Thom…" she whispered.

"Silence!" he yelled, causing her to jump. Then, as if he regained his composure, he spoke more calmly: "Alex, don't say a word – it will make _this_ easier."

His statement sent a shockwave of fear through her. _What does he mean by "this"? Why is he doing this? And_ w_here the hell is Jaden?_

"Thom…please…" was all she could whisper.

The two friends heard another click of a gun. "Thom, drop it…or I will drop you," Jaden's voice commanded.

Thom closed his eyes and sighed deeply – he knew he was caught and he mentally cursed himself for letting it happen. He slowly raised his hands in the air. For Alex, it was a huge relief. She walked over and relieved Thom of his weapon. That's when she realized she could see his face – it was a look of steel resolve.

He looked at Alex. "What the hell are you thinking? Both of you? They will find you and you'll be killed!"

Jaden slowly walked towards them still with her gun trained on Thom. "Do you really _think_ I wanted to leave Division? And with _her?_" motioning toward Alex. "After everything they've given me? They gave me another chance…a new life…"

"…a life they were going to take away," Alex chimed in. "We were slated for cancellation. Remember?"

Thom looked at her. "What did you expect? Percy told us what you guys did – how you killed the guards to escape; how you intend to meet up with the Russians… "

"LIES!" Jaden cried in disbelief. "They're all lies! That's not true at all!"

He asked her accusingly. "Really, Jaden?"

Jaden's voice started to crack as she spoke: "We found something, Thom…something horrible. Division has a plan that has major worldwide implications. When they found out we knew about it, they wanted us dead."

"What plan, Jaden?" Thom asked her.

Before she could answer, Alex interrupted. "Can we discuss this later? We're running short of time!" She lowered her weapon and walked up to Thom. "Thom, will you come with us? We can explain everything on the way."

Thom looked directly at her. He didn't even blink as he replied: "No."

"What?" Jaden asked disbelievingly. "Why not?"

He looked right at her. "You turned on us, Jaden..."

"No! Division turned on _us_!" Alex replied with resolve in her voice. "Thom, we're stopping Division's plan with your help or not."

"And I will stop you," he replied.

Alex closed her eyes and shook her head as her heart filled with a great sorrow. This wasn't the Thom she knew – the Thom that kept the peace between Jaden and Alex, gave her a radio after a job well done, made her laugh and feel special, who she kissed before his first mission…

The Thom she knew was gone.

"I'm sorry, Alex, but I must do what I have to," he told her.

She looked straight at him. "So do I." She walked up beside him and quietly whispered, "I'm sorry too."

With that, she brought the butt end of the pistol down striking him on the back of his head, causing him to collapse down in a heap. Jaden stood there in shock not believing that the man she cared for – dare she even say, _loved_ – would be hell-bent on doing Division's dirty work. She turned to look at Alex's pained expression on her face. They stood like that for a few seconds before Jaden broke the silence: "We've got to go."

Then it hit Alex: "KEYS! We need to find the keys."

They searched the five unconscious agents for the keys to the SUV. After taking the keys, as well as the agents' guns and fifty dollars they had in their wallets, Alex placed their new finds in her shoulder bag as they approached the SUV. "What's the likelihood Division's tracking this SUV?"

"I'd say 'more than likely'," Jaden replied sarcastically as she climbed into the driver's seat and starting the ignition. "I figure we'll be able to drive about forty-five minutes before we'll be in trouble."

Alex nodded as she bucked up in the passenger seat. "It'll have to do. Let's go."

* * *

Percy stood there expressionless as he watched the recruits' tracking dots move down the highway. Birkhoff swallowed hard as he knew that, when his Director said nothing in times like this, it was to hide his boiling rage. Michael, on the other hand, couldn't help but let out a small grin, as two of his recruits had taken on some of Division's best and won – he had trained them well.

The silence was broken by a phone ringing in the control room. Michael picked it up:

"Control…yeah…good…stand by." He hung up the phone. "Sir, we've got two more Strike Teams ready to go…"

"Do we know what vehicle they're in, Birkhoff?" Percy asked.

The computer technician typed in a few commands into his computer and a new screen appeared. The screen showed, among other things, the make, model, VIN number and license place of the SUV. "Yes sir. This was the vehicle assigned to Bravo team."

"Call the Virginia State Troopers," Percy calmly ordered.

Birkhoff looked confused. "Sir?" he asked inquiring the reason for this odd command.

"Birkhoff, is our vehicle currently being stolen?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, not knowing where this was going.

"And when a vehicle is stolen, you call the police right?"

"Right…"

"And they look out for the stolen vehicle and, when they find it, detain the occupants, right?"

Birkhoff realized where this was going. "You're getting the state law enforcement to help us in the chase."

Percy smiled. "More hunters to join the hunt."

Michael also clued in. "If anything, it'll slow them down…"

"…while our team moves in," Percy finished. "Michael, tell the teams they're a 'go' with 'shoot on sight' orders."

"Yes sir," Michael replied, picking up the phone.

"Birkhoff..." Percy started to say.

Birkhoff started frantically typing on his keyboard, hacking into the Virginia State Troopers' computer system. "On it, sir."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Sorry this update took so long...unfortunately, real life is making it impossible for me to update as quickly as I want to. However, I will try to get updates done as quickly as I can.**

**BTW, a huge high-five and kudos to my reviewers and those who put the story on Alert! You motivate me to keep going! Thank you so much!**

**I've gotten a few reviews asking that this story become a Malex or a Alex/Thom story. I can't promise anything right now but we will see what the future holds. ;)**

**Note that parts of the story that are _italicized_ are flashbacks and parts that aren't are "present time" (i.e. not flashbacks).  
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**Disclaimer: It's a FANFIC! Why would I own anything?**

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"Boo-yah!"

Birkhoff jumped up in victory; arms raised in the air. Michael looked at the computer technician warily. "Is there something you'd like to share, Birkhoff?"

Birkhoff slowly turned around to face Michael with a smug smile on his face. "Remember I said we were seeing some unauthorized bandwidth use?"

Michael nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"And remember how I said that the transmissions were using a modified TLS Handshake with the last sixteen bytes of the secured…"

Michael was starting to get _really _annoyed at Birkhoff. There were times he really didn't like this guy and all of his techno-speak.

He so desperately wanted to call him '_JERKhoff'_, but thought better of it.

"Enough of the techno-babble, Birkhoff. Get to the point."

"Well, I ran a trace program to determine the origin and destination of Nikita's little chat..."

"So?"

"The origin was internal, buuuuuuuut…" he paused for dramatic effect, "…we just located the destination."

With a wave of his hand, Birkhoff revealed what he was so happy about: on a map of downtown New York city, a blinking dot appeared with the address displayed beside it.

Michael just stared at the screen intently as Birkhoff leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I think we just found Nikki's secret lair."

This was music to Michael's ears.

After her betrayal in Uzbekistan, he owed her.

BIG TIME!

* * *

_(Three hours ago…)_

_Percy walked into the control room and noticed Birkhoff furiously typing away at his keyboard. He walked over to his technical guru. "I assume that you are doing something productive here, Birkhoff?"_

_Without looking up, and after taking another sip of Red Bull, Birkhoff answered Percy's question. "Yes sir. Since Nikita seems to be getting the jump on us lately, I figured she's somehow hacked into Division's servers. So, I decided to develop some extra firewall layers to prevent her from getting in. I also wrote a few programs to monitor all bandwidth usage in Division to look for anything suspicious, and a few logging programs to log said activity. I'm just finishing up the last few lines of code and should have them up and running in a few minutes."_

_Percy was impressed. "Good thinking. I wondered why we kept you around."_

"_Well, it certainly wasn't for my good looks," Birkhoff wryly replied as Amanda walked into the room._

"_It would take a __miracle__ just to make you look __**decent**__, Birkhoff," she replied. He replied by mockingly blowing her a kiss._

_Although mildly disgusted, Amanda turned her attention to Percy. "Percy, we may have a problem…"_

_Birkhoff ignored the conversation behind him – he was too focused on his work to even care what Amanda's latest problem was. _

_It was about ten minutes later that Birkhoff's code was compiled and ready to run. Sighing and admiring his handiwork, he gave the commands to start his new programs. In an instant, his computer monitor brought up a screen showing the active data connections currently into and out of Division. _

_He jumped up and let out a victorious whoop, causing everybody in the control room to stare at him._

_He realized every pair of eyes was on him…and he slowly slunk down back into his chair. _

"_Uh…as you were."_

_He spent the next fifteen minutes sifting through the information in front of him. He was able to identify the different connections to the Division servers: links into spy satellites; hacks into the Pentagon servers; hacks into English, Canadian, French, and other foreign government servers; connections through to agents' handheld devices…all of the usual stuff._

_It was not long after that a new connection appeared…but this one seemed different than the rest._

_It was an encrypted connection, and there wasn't a connection protocol listed for it. This piqued Birkhoff's interest. He wondered: _Is somebody using a new proprietary protocol that I don't know about?

_He opened up a logging tool that showed in real time the data being transmitted while logging the transmissions. The data was garbled from the encryption, but he could see that the data transmissions that went out from and in to Division were sporadic. _

_It dawned on him: _it's an online chat!

_He tried using every known encryption protocol to decrypt the data streams but nothing worked. _

_However, Birkhoff was undeterred. He studied the data streams and worked to decipher the encryption protocol. _

_After making a number of different tweaks…_

"_PAYDIRT! SHADOW WALKER STRIKES AGAIN!"_

…_he finally cracked the encryption. _

_However, his face then fell when he read the text flashing across the screen._

_He picked up the phone. "Uh, sir," he said to Percy, "you might want to see this…"_

_

* * *

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_In an abandoned building somewhere in New York city, Nikita was engaged in a chat with Alex, concerned with the content of her information. Nikita was at her keyboard typing:_

_:The whole thing sounds very serious._

_The room filled with Alex's synthetic voice as the reply came:_

_**:My 'contact' was very distressed over what she saw of Operation Storm Shadow.**_

_:Is there any way you can get me details?_

_**:I'll try, but after the last incident in the infirmary, computer access has been locked down tight.**_

_Nikita smiled as she typed:_

_:I know you. You'll come up with something._

_She patiently waited for Alex's reply…_

…_but after what seemed like an eternity, the chat screen filled with:_

_**:CBE**_

_**-END TRANSMISSION-**_

_Nikita blanched and shuttered as she stared at the screen. Fear washed over her._

_Alex had typed in their emergency code: _

_CBE – Cover Blown…Emergency._

_Her fear was compounded as a new chat box opened up and the synthetic voice boomed:_

_**:Hello Nikita.**_

_She stared in shock as she realized Alex had been discovered._

_After a few seconds, the chat screen had a new message:_

_**:What? No reply? No witty comeback?**_

_Based on the tone of the text, Nikita knew __**exactly**__ who it was. She reached for her keyboard…_

_:What do you want, Percy?_

_**:Oh, only to gloat. To let you know that I have your friend here, and to let you know that I win. Did you really think you'd defeat me?**_

_While Percy was responding, Nikita had pulled up a command line window and started typing a few commands into it. She stopped long enough to answer his text:_

_:You haven't won yet, Percy. I can…and will bring down Division._

That should get him riled up a little_, she thought. She was right:_

_**:See, Nikita? THAT'S your problem…you're deluded to believe that one person can take down an entire organization – MY organization. Your delusion has cost Alex her life! It will soon cost you yours!**_

_Suddenly, a read box popped up on her screen flashing the following text:_

_**ALERT: COMMUNICATIONS TRACE IN PROGRESS…**_

"_Dammit!" Nikita typed some more commands into the command line screen. She started a program to confuse the trace – make it look like her connections were from different parts of the world. She also tried to shut off the chat link. _

_The computer replied:_

_**ERROR: UNABLE TO CLOSE CHAT SESSION.**_

_Nikita didn't know how much time she had, but she knew had to act fast._

_The chat screen showed a new entry:_

_**:See Nikita, in the end, I always win.**_

_**

* * *

**_

"_Oh, she's good, but not as good as me."_

_Birkhoff smiled as he started to get a trace on Nikita's location. He noticed Michael had walked into the command center and was starting at one of the screens with a world map on it, watching as a line started to move from the center of the map and weave it's way around the world. "What's going on, Birkhoff?"_

_The computer technician smiled. "She's using a program to spoof her location. As soon as I can get past her little maze of lies, I can pinpoint her location."_

"_She could just turn off her computer, Birkhoff."_

_He shook his head. "No, she can't. First thing I did was send a command to lock her PC. She can't do squat."_

_Michael smiled. "Let me know as soon as you have something."_

_

* * *

_

The night air was cool and the street was pretty dark as there weren't a lot of street lights in the area.

_Good_, Michael thought as he stood outside of an old abandoned building, _better for cover_.

A group of Division's best agents accompanied Michael on the raid on the address Birkhoff had provided. The building was located in a relatively poor part of the city. It butted up against the building beside it with an alley way on the other side. Good news, as the sweeper team only had to worry about three possible exit points.

It made sense, he figured, that Nikita would here. It was out of the way from the main drag, the crime rate was horrific, and nobody would _ever _think of coming for a social visit.

Normally, Michael never let his missions get the better of him. However, this one was different. The tension was palatable that he could taste it.

She had denied his revenge against his family's murderer. She had denied his only reason for living.

Tonight he swore: if he couldn't get revenge on Kasim, he was _definitely _going to get it on Nikita.

The team kept radio silence in case the former Division agent was listening in on their radio frequency. An agent approached the front door of the building. He waived a signal to Michael, who relayed it to agents down the alley. The six agents in the alley split up – three maintained positions around exits in the alley, and three more silently headed for the back of the building.

Once the agents were in place, Michael waved the signal for everybody to enter the building.

* * *

Nikita was rummaging through one of the boxes that she had packed when she heard a noise coming from the lower floor. Quietly, she withdrew her gun and slowly made her way towards the stairwell…

* * *

Agents quietly made their way up the stairs, checking for any signs of Nikita. All was quiet until they heard a noise coming from the second level.

Michael followed the agents to the second floor…

* * *

Shadows…Nikita could see shadows flashing in the stairway. Hiding behind a corner, she raised her weapon and prepared herself to face her intruder…

* * *

Agents quickly spun around with weapons at the ready…

After a few seconds, one of the agents shouted down to Michael, "Sir, you'd better see this."

* * *

Nikita spun around, aiming her pistol…to find a homeless gentlemen standing in the stairwell. He shrieked at the sight of the weapon. "Please don't hurt me!"

* * *

Michael walked into the room that was completely empty except for an empty clothes rack and a laptop on a table. As he approached, the computer screen displayed the following text:

**MOTION DETECTED…START VIDEO…**

Suddenly, a full-screen image of Nikita's face showed up on the screen. "Hello Michael."

He nodded. "Nikita," he replied through gritted teeth.

Nikita's image smiled. "I'm sorry I'm not around to have this conversation face-to-face, but I wanted to leave a little message for you. And that message is this…you might want to leave now."

Suddenly, the screen showed a timer that was counting down: …7…6…5…

Horror flashed across Michael's face.

"GET BACK!"

Four seconds later, the laptop and table were no more as it exploded into oblivion.

* * *

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?" Nikita demanded of the frightened man standing in her stairwell.

He cowered before her. "I just wanted to see what was going on. This building's been abandoned for a long time and we normally don't get visitors." He then pointed at her gun. "Please don't shoot me. I mean no harm."

Nikita put her gun away, walked down the stairs to the man and held out her hand. "I'm sorry I scared you. I _literally _just moved into this place and…well…you never know who will be snooping around. You know what I mean?"

The homeless man looked over at Nikita's outstretched hand. Sensing that danger had past, he let out a sigh of relief, then straightened himself and shook her hand. "I understand, missy, but you almost gave me a heart attack!"

She smiled a sweet smile. "I really am sorry about that. Can I buy you something to eat to make up for it? There's an all-night diner just down the road and I haven't had any to eat all night."

He smiled back in kind. "Thank you so much. I'd like that. Name's 'Wilson' by the way."

"Nikita. Good to meet you Wilson."

She excused herself to get her purse. As she picked it up, she heard a beep come from her handheld computer. It only displayed one message, "Detonation complete."

She smiled, put the computer in her purse, and left to eat with her new found friend. She figured she could unpack her belongings in her new place later.

* * *

**I know what you're thinking: "Nikita could have just shot her computer to stop the trace". True, but she didn't – why will be revealed in later chapters. **

**Your reviews make me really happy. So, if you like the story so far, please review. PLEEEEEEEEASE! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Wow. I'm so glad that Nikita's back on TV. I can't wait!**

**When I wrote my last chapter, I had no idea that Birkhoff would find the shell script in "All The Way". Talk about a lucky guess.**

**And why the heck did they kill off Thom? What were they thinking? For those of you that like Thom: don't worry. He's not dead in this story. **

**I do apologize that it's taken so long to get a new chapter out. So, I appreciate your patience. Unfortunately, life threw me a curve ball just before Christmas, so my updates may be further apart than I'd like. All I ask is you please be patient with me.**

**Standard disclaimer: I own nothing…**

**

* * *

**

_All Alex knew was that she was in one of the darkened halls of Division and she was fighting somebody. She couldn't see who it was – all she knew is that her life depended on escaping. Whoever it was moved with brutal efficiency. Every blow she countered or dodge held lethal force. _

_Each of them moved in a deadly dance of blows, blocks and counter strikes. Somehow, her attacker pulled her into a sleeper hold. Fighting the loss of oxygen, Alex elbowed her attacker in the face, knocking her free. Her assailant charged at her again, but Alex was able to block the punches and land a blow against her attacker. _

_That's when they both saw a gun lying on the floor. _

_Her attacker must have thought the same thing she did as they both reached for the weapon. Suddenly, it became a struggle to control the weapon._

_Then a gunshot went off. Her attacker fell beside her._

_Then she saw his face gasping for air: Thom's face._

"_No…"_

_

* * *

_

When it's almost midnight, and you're traveling down the highway for a half hour in complete silence, it gives one time to think. For Jaden, her thoughts focused on her life. She was a hard kid, growing up in the streets of Washington DC, being the plaything for this gang member or that gang member, and doing whatever it took to survive. Wherever she was, she made it home...not that it mattered anyway. Home was wherever she could eat or sleep.

It's not like she had a home to miss anyway. Her dad left not long after she was born, and her mom died of a drug overdose when she was about seven years old. From there, she went from one foster home to another. Eventually, she figured she'd do a better job of surviving on the streets than having to deal with some drunken foster father who wanted a cheap screw.

How Jaden ended up Division she never really knew. Jaden just remembered waking up, lying on a bed, in a gray room with no windows. She remembered some guy with short hair and a goatee telling her that she had been given a "second chance at life".

Not that she could remember all of what he said anyway as the detox was hell. She spent the better part of a fortnight trying to eat, sleep, and get her strength up while the drugs left her body.

Then the training began. She started to learn how to fight – how to kill.

It gave her a feeling that she didn't have before – power.

Finally she had an assignment; a sense of purpose. Finally she could get a taste of freedom and be on her way to become a field agent. She could still see the dresses Amanda wanted her to try on. She had never seen so many beautiful dresses.

Percy told her that she had a very important mission and her role was critical. Of course, it somehow slipped out that the operation was called, "Stormshadow."

That piece of information led to her situation now. She couldn't believe that she was driving a stolen SUV down the highway with her most hated enemy.

Alex.

That bitch.

To say that Jaden hated Alex was an understatement. There was only one way she could think of to describe how she felt:

Loathing.

Unadulterated loathing.

Everything about this woman made her skin crawl.

And now, she was asleep on the passenger seat beside her.

_Ironic, isn't it?_ she thought.

Jaden looked down at the shoulder bag that Alex held. She thought about the guns that they stashed there.

_It would be really easy for me to just grab a gun and take her out right now...dump the SUV and get the hell out of here. She wouldn't even see it coming._

Yet, even in the midst of her plotting, something told Jaden there was more to Alex than what was on the surface. She also had a feeling Alex could help them deal with their trackers. On top of that, Jaden couldn't shake was a nagging feeling that Alex may hold a key to her getting back into Division.

So, loathing aside, she was stuck with her.

Suddenly, Alex awoke with a start yelling out Thom's name. It took Alex a moment to realize that she had fallen asleep and was having a nightmare.

_Great_, Jaden thought with disgust. That's the other reason she hated Alex: Thom. He was the only guy Jaden met that saw any potential in her – the only guy who she actually trusted…even loved.

There was no way Alex was taking that away from her too.

"Welcome back," Jaden spat out to her companion.

"How long have I been out?" Alex asked stretching and rubbing her eyes.

"Half an hour." The grouchiness was evident in her voice.

Alex looked over at her moody traveling companion. "What's your problem?"

"Nothin'," was the reply as Jaden buried her emotions for the time being. "We've been driving for thirty minutes now without incident. I don't know about you, but I don't think we should push our luck."

Alex nodded in agreement. She turned to look out the window and saw something in the distance. "Pull over at the next exit."

"Why?"

"We're going shopping."

The two women arrived at a Walmart parking lot. On Alex's suggestion, Jaden parked the vehicle as far away from the building as possible. Alex grabbed her bag and they made their way up to the store. As Jaden entered the store, Alex stopped at a pay phone to make a phone call.

* * *

"...and I am completely convinced that JFK's murder was a giant government conspiracy!"

Nikita smiled as Wilson started into another one of his wild conspiracy theories. All through dinner, he had discussed every wild cover-up he believed in – everything from the 'faked' Apollo 11 moon landing to Elvis' death. His tirade was, thankfully, cut short when Nikita's phone rang.

Nikita quickly picked it up. "Hello?"

Alex, from the phone booth at Walmart, replied. "It's me."

Nikita let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I thought I lost you."

"We're ok. It was pretty close but we're out."

Nikita raised her eyebrows. "_We?_"

Alex sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's a long story."

"You'll have to fill me in later. Where are you?"

"Just outside of Nowheresville, Virginia…"

As Alex talked on the phone, she watched as a police cruiser drove through the parking lot. It suddenly stopped behind the SUV. "Dammit."

Nikita heard Alex's swearing. "What's wrong?"

"We were followed. Our position's been compromised. Gotta go. I'll call you for pickup when we've reached a secure location."

"WAIT!" Nikita shouted, catching Alex's attention before she hung up. "Head to the hospital in Gainesville, Virginia and look for a 'Doctor Anita Redding'. She knows me can help you with the trackers. Tell her that her 'guardian angel needs to call in a favor'."

"Got it."

Nikita hung up the phone and turned to her dinner companion. Calmly, she asked him, "Wilson, have you ever heard of a government agency called, 'Division'?"

* * *

Alex hung up the phone and went inside to join Jaden in the store. She found her walking through the Women's Wear section looking at the various clothing.

Jaden was lost among the sea of clothing. Sure, it wasn't the fanciest or most stylish clothing, but after being stuck down in Division's training center and wearing nothing but grey and black, the colorful clothing on the racks were a welcome change.

"Certainly not Division colors, are they?" Alex asked as she walked up to her travelling companion.

Jaden just chuckled. "Even a $5 sweater looks better than Division's uniform."

"See anything you like?"

Jaden turned and looked at Alex with a wary eye. "What? We're going to be best shopping buds or something?"

Alex shook her head. "No, but we'd better find something to wear other than these clothes. SUV's been found. We've got about five minutes to get out of here."

With their limited resources, the two women decided keep their shopping to a minimum, only picking out shirts and hooded sweaters. Jaden's sweater was a dark forest green while Alex's was a yellow. Alex also grabbed a cheap map to help them find their new destination. They were on the way to the checkout when Alex mentioned, "We'll need a new ride."

Jaden just sneered. "No problem. I can jack any car in the lot."

"Sure you could. Can you do it with the cops watching?"

Jaden stopped and thought for a few moments before she saw a rather large man in his mid-forties perusing through the women's intimate section. "How about 'creepy guy' there?"

Alex saw the guy Jaden was referring to. "You think you can lift his keys?"

"Pay attention and you may learn something," came the reply as Jaden threw her clothing over to Alex.

Jaden slowly made her way through the various articles of clothing into the section before 'accidentally' bumping into the guy. "Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention…"

The man, looking Jaden over, changed his demeanor. "No worries, sweetheart. Say, you look kinda cute."

He reached out and started to stroke her arm. Jaden tried to hide her revulsion. "Uh, thanks." She quickly picked up a bra. "Oh look. I found what I was looking for. So, I'll be off…"

As Jaden started to walk by the guy, he stepped in her way. "I'll bet that'll look good on you. It'll look even better on my floor."

In that moment, every memory of every awful foster home came to Jaden. She could feel the need to end this guy's life right here and now build inside of her. Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice booming in their direction. "HEY! Back off of my girl!"

Jaden watched in surprise as Alex marched up in between the two of them and planted a huge kiss on Jaden's lips. Jaden hid her shock while she played along and returned the kiss. After a few seconds, they broke apart and Alex faced their voyeur with a look that could kill. "She's taken. Go find your own."

The guy, while amused, shook his head as he walked off. "I'll never understand women."

After making their purchases and walking outside the store, Jaden grabbed Alex's arm, turned her to face her and angrily held a finger in her face. "Don't_ ever_ do that again!"

"What were you going to do? Take him out?"

"Trust me; I'd be doing the world a favor."

Alex gave her a stern look. "Don't go thinking I enjoyed it. If I could have figured out any other way to break the two of you up, I would have. Now, as much as I share your desire to rid the world of those scumbags, right now we've got to go."

She nodded towards the SUV. Jaden turned and saw a number of cop cars surrounding the vehicle. A crime scene investigation unit was on hand combing over the vehicle.

Alex then asked, "You got the keys?"

Jaden held up the man's key ring. After a few minutes searching, they found the guy's pickup truck. Jaden threw the keys to Alex. "_You_ drive this time. _I'll_ sleep."

"Fine," she replied as they opened the door.

Alex started the truck and they pulled out of the parking lot, quietly leaving the scene behind them. As Jaden slept, Alex looked at the map to find her way towards Gainesville. She hoped that the doctor Nikita recommended could remove Division's leash on them.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Hey y'all. I am really sorry for not updating in so long. Life threw me a curve ball just before Christmas – I got laid off from my job. So, I've spent the last few months job hunting (which, thank the Lord, I found one). Unfortunately, this has meant I wasn't able to write for a long time. Thank you for being patient with me. **

**Anyway, I started to write this chapter before watching the episode "Free". I realize that Alex's new tracker is in her head; however, since she's still a recruit in this story, I'm going with the fact that it's elsewhere. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Nikita. **

**

* * *

**

Michael walked around the now shattered table where Nikita's laptop had been. Any possibility of finding Nikita pretty much went up in smoke when the computer exploded into a million pieces. He sighed as he realized she had won again. He shook his head and laughed as he lost himself in his thoughts. _Damn Nikita: always getting in the way of my vengeance. _

One of the other agents walked up to Michael after hanging up his cell phone. "Sir, if there's nothing else to do here, Percy wants us to go after the two rogue recruits. There's a plane waiting for us at the airport."

Knowing there _was _nothing left, Michael nodded. He shouted out to his men: "LET'S GO!"

* * *

"Put this on the back of your head. It will help the swelling."

Amanda offered an ice pack Thom as he sat in the infirmary. Nodding, he accepted the ice pack and placed it over the area where Alex hit him. He winced at the pain when as he applied it to his head; his facial expression wasn't lost on Percy as he walked into the room.

"How are you doing?" He asked his young agent.

Thom nodded in response. "I'm ok."

"Well, no permanent damage, I assume."

"With some rest, he'll be as good as new," Amanda replied.

"Thom, I need to know: what did those two agents tell you?"

Thom shook his head, deciding to keep his conversation with the two women to himself. "They didn't say anything - just that they were slated for cancellation, so they decided to run."

Satisfied with his agent's answer, Percy nodded with a sense of relief, knowing that his secrets were contained for now. However, as Percy turned to leave, Thom said to him, "I want to go after them."

"Really?" Percy was surprised at Thom's request. He turned and stood in front of the young agent with arms crossed. "Why?"

"Because I _know_ them. I've worked with them and trained them, and I know how they think. I also know they can't stand each other. We can use that to our advantage."

Percy looked at Thom sternly. "You _do_ realize that your orders will be 'shoot to kill'."

Thom looked the Director directly in the eyes. "I am fully aware of the mission and I intend to carry it out."

Amanda shot Percy an amused look at Thom's answer. Percy just smiled and placed a hand on Thom's shoulder. "Fine. First, you get some sleep; then, we'll get you hooked up with the Strike Team."

Thom nodded. "Thank you, sir." With that, he left the infirmary.

Percy turned to Amanda. "What do you think?"

"He's always been loyal to Division. I don't think he'll have a problem carrying out the order."

"And if he _does_ have a problem?"

Amanda just smiled a sly smile. "I know that both Jaden and Alex were rather fond of him. If he fails his mission, we'll use him as bait."

* * *

Thom sat on his bed, holding the ice pack to his head; his mind swirling thinking about the events of the evening…

_"We found something, Thom…something horrible. Division has a plan that has major worldwide implications…"_

_"...Division turned on __us__!"_

"…_we're stopping Division's plan with your help or not…"_

"_They didn't say anything - just that they were slated for cancellation..."_

"_You do realize that your orders will be 'shoot to kill'…"_

He didn't know why he lied to Percy; he just knew that there was more to Alex's story. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of it all. Reaching over, he turned off his light and decided to succumb to sleep.

* * *

Dr. Anita Dupuis reflected on her life over the last two years as she drove towards the hospital. Back then, she was only an intern there hoping to gain full employment. Sure enough, one morning, she came into the hospital and was informed she had just passed her internship and could work full time there. Of course, she excitedly called her husband, Matthew, to tell him the happy news. He promptly decided to take the day off of work from his bio-tech job to plan a celebration.

That celebration never happened. At the end of her shift as Anita was walking to her car, a dark gray van pulled up beside her and three masked men jumped out. They would have been successful in their abduction attempt if it wasn't for an unknown woman who came in and saved her…

"_Come with me if you want to live," she said._

"_Who are you?"_

"_Right now, I'm your 'guardian angel' and the person keeping you alive. Now, let's go!"_

At the time, Anita couldn't understand why anybody would want to kidnap her. Of course, she never could understand why they'd want to kill her husband either. The sight of him slumped backwards in his home office chair with a gunshot to the head still made her shiver to this day. It was with Nikita's help she learned that some 'division' in the government wanted her husband's research on new-age chemical weapons and was looking to hold them hostage for it. In the end, with Nikita's help, the whole incident ended up going public, thwarting her abductors' plans. All research was stopped and subsequently destroyed by Matthew's employer. In addition, with her face all over the media, there would be many people suspicious of her disappearance.

When it was all over, though, she realized she was alone.

"_What do I do now?"_

"_You mourn…but at least you get another chance."_

"_Will they be coming back?"_

_Nikita shook her head. "No. I'll make sure of it."_

_Nikita started to walk away, but stopped when Anita called out to her. "Thank you, Nikita. If I can ever repay you, let me know…" _

The day they buried her husband was a quiet solemn day: a simple funeral service with family and a few friends. She tearfully laid some roses at the base of the stone, kissed her hand and touched the headstone before leaving…

_Matthew Redding_

_1976-2009_

Now, newly remarried, her life was almost back to normal. She never forgot the day that her 'guardian angel' saved her. That's why, when she got a page from her 'guardian angel' calling in a favor, she headed straight for the hospital.

"Anita! You're here. Everything ok?" The triage nurse Petra was surprised to find Dr. Dupuis coming in at this late hour – especially since her shift ended seven hours ago.

"Yes, I'm good," she replied. "I just have some things to take care of."

With that, she nervously awaited what the evening would hold.

* * *

It was about one-thirty in the morning when Alex found Prince William hospital in Gainesville. As she pulled the pick-up truck into the parking lot, Jaden stirred from her slumber, pausing a few minutes to get her bearings. After realizing she was at the hospital, she turned to Alex and asked her, "Why are we _here_?"

"There's somebody here who might be able to deal with Division's electronic leash. If you're not interested, you can stay here if you'd like, but I'm going in there..."

Jaden bolted up immediately. "Oh, hell no. I'm coming with you – there's no way you're leaving me behind."

They walked into the emergency entrance and walked up to the triage station. "Excuse me, is Dr. Anita Redding working this evening?" Alex sweetly asked the triage nurse.

As they stood there, a doctor walked up to the two recruits. "Are you looking for Dr. Redding? Who's asking?"

Jaden's defense mechanism started up, getting ready for the worst. Alex just looked at her and said, "Angel."

The doctor immediately nodded and asked them to follow her. She led them through the emergency ward to a deserted area near the back. After walking into the stall, she pulled the curtain behind them and asked them, "Who are you?"

Alex calmly replied. "We're here to see Dr. Anita Redding. A 'guardian angel' needs to call in a favor."

The doctor nodded. "I'm Doctor Redding. My 'angel' sent me a message this evening. She said something about removing 'trackers'."

Alex nodded. "They're implanted somewhere in out bodies and we need to get them out."

Anita nodded, knowing just what to do. She hurried the two recruits towards the Radiology department. Throwing two gowns to the agents and ushering them to their own change rooms, she instructed them to change and get ready for x-rays. After they had changed, the two recruits walked into the x-ray room and saw that Anita was busy getting the computer ready for processing. "Who's going first?"

Alex motioned towards the table. "You first," she told Jaden.

Jaden got on the table and laid down. Anita performed a number of x-rays, taking films of Jaden's body in sections. As each picture was taken, a computer recorded a digital image of the film. After Jaden was done, she did the same for Alex.

Anita took about ten minutes analyzing the films before presenting her findings. "OK. Good news: I found them. Alex, your tracker is in your left arm." She pointed to the x-ray film showing Alex a small cylindrical tube located in her arm.

"Jaden," she continued, "your tracker is in your right calf."

Jaden nodded in acknowledgment. "So, what now?"

"Now, we prep you for surgery. Get your stuff and let's go."

Three black SUV's pulled into the hospital's parking lot. The doors flew open and Division agents came flooding out. Michael took the lead. "OK. Birkhoff has confirmed they're in here somewhere."

He turned to one of the agents holding a portable GPS. "Jack, got their location?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Weapons hidden for now. And gentlemen, we take them alive. Got it? Let's go."

The men nodded to Michael, but a few looked at each other knowing the _real_ purpose of their mission.

The three women made their way through the halls of the hospital until they came into a small surgery room. As soon as they entered the doors, Anita locked the door and flipped the switch on a box that was attached to the wall…

"Sir, the signal dropped. Something's jamming the signal."

All agents stopped in their tracks in front of the Emergency room entrance. Michael fumed at the news. "OK. We know they're here. Split up into groups of two and search this place. I want you to find them!"

As they entered the Emergency room, the triage nurse, Petra, stood up to meet them. "Sir, can I help you?"

Michael and his crew ignored her and continued walking.

"HEY! You can't go in there!"

Suddenly, Petra yelped as she felt a hand cover her mouth and a sharp pain in her arm. She didn't even have a chance to see one of the Division agents putting a syringe in her arm. After a few seconds, she fell to the ground. The agent turned to Michael. "She'll be out for a few hours."

He nodded. "Good. Hide her away and let's go."

"What's that thing?" Alex asked the doctor motioning towards the box on the wall.

"It's an electronic jammer. It's used to stop idiots using their cell phone near sensitive equipment. Hopefully this will jam your trackers and buy us time." She pointed towards the table and, turning to Jaden, said, "You first."

Jaden did as she requested, laying face down on the table. She winced as a needle was injected into her leg, followed by the burning of the anesthetic.

"It's a local anesthetic, " the doctor informed them, as she took another needle and injected anesthetic into Alex's arm. "It'll take a few minutes to kick in. It's the best we can do under the circumstances." After a few minutes, she handed Jaden a towel. "Here, bite on this."

Jaden did as she instructed. It wasn't long before she bit down on the towel and screamed into it as a slicing pain radiated through her legs. The anesthetic was able to numb the top layers of skin but hadn't gotten down into the deeper tissue where the tracker was.

Eyes stinging with tears, she balled up her fists trying to bear with the pain...

...and was surprised to feel Alex grab her fists to comfort her. Jaden was surprised to see the concern in Alex's eyes: for a second, Jaden thought that Alex might have actually _cared_ for her.

After what seemed like an eternity, Anita finished stitching up Jaden's leg and wrapped it in gauze; the tracker had been retrieved. Turning to Alex, she said, "You're next."

When it was all over, Alex was spent. The pain of the surgery was unbearable, but at least the job was done: the tracker was out and her arm was stitched and bandaged. Anita placed some more gauze and tape into Alex's bag along with some antibiotics. The doctor then reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. She handed it to Alex. "Your friend said you'd know what to do with this."

Alex nodded accepting the envelope. It took some doing, but both recruits changed back into their street clothes. Getting ready to leave, Anita stopped Alex, handing her a set of keys. "Take my car and park it at the Rose Hill cemetery. I'll find it there."

Alex nodded. "Thank you."

Anita smiled. "I'm just glad I could return the favor to my 'angel'. Now go!"

They made sure the hallway was clear. Jaden was using Alex as a crutch so she didn't have to put pressure on her leg. They slowly made their way towards a stairwell heading towards the parking lot.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The two recruits froze: two Division agents stood in the hallway with guns raised.


End file.
